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Bleached bronze, faded to a shade of pure spun gold in some places, covers this dragon's lumpy body like a piece of exquisite silk wrapped around a gnarled stump - not even the pale beauty of his hide can mask the fact that he's just plain ugly. Thickly ridged brows of a light flaxen hue slash diagonally across his blunted muzzle, one side dipping lower than the other to make his gaze seem oddly mismatched. Even his whirling eyes add to the lopsided effect, as one is always several shades darker and appears slightly sunken into its socket. Stubby headknobs sprout crookedly from his oversized head and his nose is squashed in, the nostrils wide-set and prominent. A curly thatch of wheaten bronze and soft copper covers his crown and spills back over his craggy ridges like a wild mane, flowing all the way down to the end of his stumpy tail and pooling into a splotch of gold at its spaded tip. Color leeches out of his stunted limbs and leaves them a washed-out bronze that pales to near white along his paws. His rear end is wide, boxy and prone to being wiggled as he moves along with his awkward, waddling gait. Only his wings have escaped without flaw, as the thin membranes fall from his shoulders like twin banners of red-gold, copper and bronze.

Egg Name and Description

Frozen Iridescence Egg
Flashes of liquid fire roll beneath this egg's surface, the shell merely a window to the chaos and colors within. The juxtaposition of color is complex, with green morphing into violet when the angle of viewing is changed, while red and orange explode in crystalline sunbursts, then dim to a steady yellow flame. Transcended from prism to prison, captured light refracts in infinite pursuit of freedom, hue stacked upon tone to give additional illusion of dimension. Striations on the shell buckle through the shimmering color, stress marks crazing the glossy surface as though the occupant within were testing the bonds of its captivity.

Footsteps in the Night start off slowly, padding softly out of the darkness, a solitary sound. Abruptly, more come - the click of heels, the slap of sandals, the soft swish of slippers. The sound swells, thousands of feet dashing through your mind, stumbling, running, tip-toeing closer, ever closer. The rush continues, a parade of feet echoing out of the absolute darkness, resounding through your mind in a dizzying array of clatter. Abruptly, they skid to a halt, leaving only the soft sound of tiny toes tucked into shoes too big darting into the fray. There is silence but for the beat of your heart drumming in your ears - one thud, two, then a chime crashes into your ears, two concurrent notes that vibrate sonorously into the inky black. Anybody home?

Footsteps in the Night shuffle anxiously at the edge of the darkness as the last notes of the chime still echo into oblivion. Then - streamers of white fling themselves out of the dusk, looping and curling around your mind, engulfing your thoughts in a soft cocoon of tissue-thin wrapings. Laughter echoes obscenely, a low cackle, a deep chuckle, and high-pitched quaver. Chains rattle nearby, metal against metal as they creep ever closer. Just beyond your vision, there's a glow, a hint of tiny balls of light darting at the corner of your eye, disappearing the moment that your attention wanders in their direction. Smells rise from nowhere - the musty scent of old, abandoned rooms, the dull musk of pumpkins, the slightly fetid aroma of freshly turned earth. A cold wind cuts sharply through the paper shell, chilling to the core. Beneath your fingertips, the shell seems to soften, grow squishy with decay, then abruptly there is nothing - no scent, no sound, no sight. Utter blackness, which once more vibrates with the bass echoes of the chime. Anybody home?

Footsteps in the Night still with surprise. You're here? Laughter echoes again, the soft giggles of children, the deeper, kindly chuckles of adults - all kindly meant. As if in reward for living through the horrors of the night, light filters in, hazy and indistinct, brightening the night to the soft gloaming of the false dawn. The aroma of fresh cake and sweet candy teases at the edges of your mind, mingling with the sharp spice of pumpkin pie. The cheerful crackle of a fire chases away the howling wind, burns through the cocoon holding your mind in thrall. There's an outpouring of welcome, of cheer and laughter and appreciation, all bundled into the soft liquid glow holding the black at bay. Softness surrounds you, smelling of life and love, enveloping you in its protective embrace as slowly the footsteps receed, taking the light, the sounds, the scents with them. Soon, there is nothing left but dark once more, but this one, at least, still echoes with the memory of home, hearth, and happiness. Then it is gone, and you are alone.

Hatching Message

A shudder runs through Frozen Iridescence Egg and the colors upon it seem to ripple in response, blues fading slightly to violet as the angle shifts minutely. Bits of sand roll away from the base before it falls silent again.

Frozen Iridescence Egg shivers and twitches, its tip wobbling back and forth. Reds and oranges shift like fire on its surface and a jagged crack suddenly splits the shimmering shell.

Wham! Crack! Frozen Iridescence Egg jerks to one side and then the other, its glimmering surface rapidly being covered in a tiny latticework of intricate cracks. Bits of sparkling shell fly everywhere as it rocks under several more blows. There's a sudden crinkling and a wet noise as the rest of the structure disintigrates, disgorging a bronze hatchling onto the Sands with a wet plop. Somehow his small, lumpy body looks out of place amidst all those pretty opalescent shards.

Impression Message

Something smells vaguely sweet and fruity, the heady scent cutting through the previous overpowering aroma of sweaty candidate. It creeps in on you, filling you with a pleasant warmth as though you just had a swallow of wine. Swirls of red, maroon and plum start to battle in your head with creamy champagnes, golds and ambers. « What? No fanfare announcing my arrival? I'm thoroughly disappointed. » You're suddenly deluged in a rush of bubbles as a laugh rolls through your head. « I'm down here, Th'ero. Down here. You didn't think you went crazy, did you? I assure you you're not talking to yourself. » Some of the wine-laden imagery settles and sloshes through your head, sending another flash of pale gold and red. A hint of spice and smoke assaults your sense of smell and that's when you notice the rather odd-looking bronze hatchling staring up at you. « Now you're stuck with me in your head forever! » Amusement mingles with an overpowering rush of love and belonging - you feel almost as light-headed as if you really /did/ drink some alcohol. « I'm Velokraeth by the way. Th'ero and Velokraeth. Has a bit of a ring to it, don't you think? » A tickle of bubbles and wine reds before he adds, « This is fun and all .. but I'm a bit peckish. How about some food? » As the world rushes back in, you're left with a lingering feeling of hunger, love and an everlasting bond to the small bronze before you.

Personality

Sometimes good things come in strange packages. Or ugly packages, as is the unfortunate case with Velokraeth. Nestled within the stunted exterior of lumpy malformity resides a sharp intellect and an even sharper wit punctuated with a razor-edged sense of humor. Brains over beauty - it would seem these words ring exceptionally true for him. Capable though he is of deducting complex puzzles and providing good advice as well as undying loyalty, it's often hard for others to see past his unappealing exterior to take his words seriously. It can be a bit of a surprise, of course, to hear such well thought out ideas and teasing statements about life coming from a dragon who looks as though forming a sentence would present a problem.

Not that Velokraeth will notice how others react to his unusual appearance in the first few months of life. Innocence will cloud his perception and provide a thin shield against perceived slights on his looks. Should anyone really throw an insult at him, it's more than likely he'll respond with the innocence of youth - in a teasing, intelligent way that'll come off friendly in the face of anger or malice. Velokraeth, while young, will certainly wear his true good-natured self out on his sleeve - unprotected and open to the cruelties of the world he has yet to learn about. Naturally he'd be one to smile draconically in the face of a snarling angry feline and make an amused observation about its teeth - something that'll be true even when he's older.

« You know you have something in your teeth. Yes. Right there. They're nice and sharp, by the way. I'm sure you have no trouble chewing your food. »

It's not that Velokraeth will be so stupid as to not notice contempt or ill-feelings - he just has other business to attend to in the first months of his life. It'll just take him a little longer to realize such feelings are directed at /him/. Knowledge is everywhere. New things must be learned, experiences must be had and he'll want to have them despite his physical limitations - he'll be waddling all over the place in search of new things to tickle his fancy. His brain will be too busy soaking up information and the edged blade of his mind certainly needs sharpening after its long inactivity in the shell.

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." - Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones

He may spend a lot of time observing and commenting wittily on certain things in the beginning and even later in life. Who knew even rocks could be made interesting and humorous? His clutchmates might think him fairly aloof when young, as the world seems to interest him more than other dragons and people at first. He has as much curiosity about everything as you do, Th'ero, but you'll find he has a different view of it. It'll certainly create lots of conversations due to the odd comments he'll throw out here or there as he experiences new places and things.

« That rock looks remarkably like Teimyrth's rear end. See the lumps and how wide it is? Fascinating how something in nature could match something so huge. »

He's not one to ask a floodtide of questions, either - he forms his own opinions and presents them in a well-ordered way that naturally stimulates conversation. It won't take him long to grasp new concepts and he'll have a knack at making even the goriest, most unpleasant task seem witty and amusing.

« Try not to think about all the squishy, oozing gore you're sticking your hand into, Th'ero. Just focus on all the delicious bits of meat that I'll get to eat when you're done! »

Knowledge usually follows with power and, in some other storylines, great responsibility. Knowledge with Velokraeth will lead to other things - the shattering of that flimsy shield of childish innocence that protects him in his first few months. As he absorbs all there is to know, he'll find more time to actually join in willingly with conversations with his clutchsiblings and their riders. He won't be able to miss the sly pokes at his stunted limbs, the way certain people may grimace at his appearance or show unwanted sympathy about his 'condition'. Not to mention he'll be able to compare his grotesqueness against the beauty and fluidity of other dragons. How openly friendly the others are treated and how much more he has to work to gain minor acceptance. Even how much harder he has to work at physical tasks during Weyrlinghood that his clutchsiblings find easy. He may only be a tiny bit slower, but the difference will be glaringly apparent to Velokraeth before long. It'll rapidly become apparent that being loved and accepted by his peers and even strangers is extremely important to him. He may ask you, Th'ero, just how you manage to make so many people like you. And in the process he'll likely learn about your elaborate masks and layers. Masks, though, will be something of a point of contention with him for the entirety of his life - they're a lie and « What's the point of people liking a lie? If I pretended to be a jibbering idiot and everyone adored me for once … it wouldn't matter. Because, naturally, I'm not really a jibbering idiot. » He'll surely be one to push you to be yourself, Th'ero, whatever that might be. He knows that you love him for the way he is and there's no reason to hide the true you in any case.

« You're good enough for me and that should be good enough for the rest of the world. I have wonderful taste, after all. »

Even with your undying love, Th'ero, bitterness will sprout from that tiny seed of discontent. It'll harden into a shell in place of the fluid, permeable membrane of youth. He'll still have that jovial, teasing and good-natured attitude most of the time, though more of his jests and jibes will be aimed at the other dragons or even other people. Especially if someone should make a joke about him, his ugliness or even something broken in general - he'll feel he needs to come back with bitingly sarcastic remarks. Deep down he wishes to make them feel just as rejected as he himself feels when insulted. He lacks physical brute force, so what better to fight with than the sharpness of his wit? Velokraeth will use it without hesitation in response to insults, things he disagrees with or things he just finds to be stupid.

Bitter though he may grow to become as he goes through Weyrlinghood, he'll never turn to anger. Anger is a fool's weapon and Velokraeth is no fool. Intellect is his only tool and he uses it to his advantage - he's a negotiator not a fighter. Often he'll be able to twist another dragon's words upon them or deliver a sharp, concise sarcastic remark at just the right place to diffuse an argument. Any anger he feels is channelled into his words, as he usually keeps a cool head. He'll eventually distinguish himself as someone who can break up arguments or provide good advice - if they get past the ugliness of his exterior. Of course, this is something that Velokraeth will learn over time - as a young dragon he may let his bitterness at being different cloud some of his judgement even if he knows what the right path is. You may be the one to steer him back onto the correct trail, Th'ero, if he happens to stray - you are the sole person he trusts completely and he values your opinion well above others'.

"I happen to be a great judge of character." - Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones

The right path and the truth are usually fairly clear to Velokraeth, though - he often has a knack of seeing true intentions inside a giant tangle of scheming and lying. Never try to lie in front of Velokraeth, as he'll jest that he can « … sniff them out before they even have a chance to come to a full boil. » Between his knack for lie detecting and Shadhavarth's ability to judge untruths (something Velokraeth will undoubtably find /very/ attractive in the gold), it's unlikely anyone nearby will be able to utter a falsehood. It's like he has an intuition about feelings and an ability to see changes in body language better than most. It has an added disadvantage of letting him know who dislikes him the most and who might only be acting friendly to his face. Add that in with his deep seated desire to be loved and accepted, stir it up and it can only add to Velokraeth's inner bitterness and sarcasm. In the end it's only a little extra zest added to an already spicy personality.

For this reason Velokraeth keeps true friends close and nurtures the few close relationships as best he can. It's why he feels so close to you, Th'ero, as he knows bone-deep that you love him despite his looks. You will never abandon him. You will never judge him. You, along with carefully selected friends he finds trustworthy, will always receive his undying loyalty. It's as though he feels indebted for their kindness and, feeling unworthy of it, acts in ways to repay the debts. You may find yourself using marks to purchase "gifts" for other dragons for odd things like « Halinith could use some new straps. You can wheedle enough marks to commission some? Good. Of course you can. » It's as though he believes he has to continue to buy their friendship or he might lose them forever. It's only you, Th'ero, that he won't ever lose, after all.

If there's something he likes more than friends who don't shudder at the sight of him, it's female dragons of any color. As odd as it might seem for a dragon so lacking in the looks department, he's rather enamored with them. He'll woo, charm and flirt with every flashy hide he sees. Surprisingly, a lot of the ladies are willing to overlook his repugnant visage in favor of the pure gold that flows in his honeyed words. As Velokraeth sees it, mating flights are a way to try to lessen the ache of being rejected by others - if he wins over all the other more handsome males, then he's better by proxy. At least for a short while during and after the flight. Even if the female should reject him once the mating is done, he'll be so buzzed on the emotion of winning that he'll leave her with good-natured charm. Should the gold or green prefer his company beyond the end of the flight? He'd be happy to oblige, as having another dragon actually ask for his company would ease his feelings of peer rejection. And if he loses? Well - be prepared for a brief quip about how he's better off without her and a quest to find something else to occupy his mind - a drink of wherry blood with Nyzieroth, perhaps. He won't dwell on the loss for long, though, and will move on to another female soon enough - there are plenty out there, after all. And there certainly will be a lot of flights for you to deal with, Th'ero. Velokraeth may be ungainly and waddling on the ground, though his small size makes for an advantage in the air - an advantage he uses with every single flight he can muster the energy for.

Golds. Greens. It doesn't matter - if he's breathing and they're going up, he'll be after them. Don't be surprised if he tries to nudge you, Th'ero, into flirting with women too. Lots of women. Especially if he knows you like someone in particular (and he certainly /will/ pick up on such things with that uncanny intuition of his.) He may not fully grasp the fact that human mating is a bit less casual, usually, but that won't stop him from trying to shove you into bed with most attractive women and many unattractive ones, too. It works to make him forget his woes - why not you, too?

« That woman over there is rather attractive, isn't she? She winked at you! » " … she's old enough to be my grandmother." « … so? Your point? »

Velokraeth isn't all about casual mating, though. Secretly he's big on family. He'd be a very doting clutchfather if he ever did manage to catch a gold. He'd love to "play weyrmate", as it were, and woo the gold all while the eggs were on the Sands with his words of honeyed sweetness. He'd certainly be very fatherly to the resulting offspring, too, and take care to keep a relationship with them well after hatching - he has a great memory for who is of his own bloodline. Deep down, though, his motives lie in the fact he doesn't want any of /his/ hatchlings to feel rejected - love and care all the way. Don't be surprised, Th'ero, if he's actually happy about settling down one day (though he still might chase a few extra greens or a gold on the side).

"Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you." - Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones

Flights may be a way for Velokraeth to forget his bitterness short term, though eventually he will remember it again as it's an ingrained part of who he is. It'll come as no surprise that, as he grows, he'll come up with ways to cope other than his fallback method of spouting snarky comments at every insult. One of his favorite methods when he's older will be to turn any insults or perceived slights back on himself. If he acts like something actually doesn't hurt him, then it won't - plus everyone needs to learn to laugh at themselves. He'll be sure to try to rope you into this way of thinking, too. It's a difficult concept for him to grasp, though, and old habits die hard. With work on both your parts, it's likely Velokraeth will achieve a great balance when he's grown - just the right amount of bitterness tempered with a healthy acceptance of his ugliness. Good-natured charm with a slight dose of biting remarks if the occasion calls for it. He will try to help to balance you as you help to balance him. Life is short, but you have the rest of it to spend with Velokraeth and it surely won't be dull - he'll make sure of that with his constant need to explore and sharpen his wits! You'll probably live to be 80 turns old with a belly full of wine and a woman a third your age warming your bed. What could be better?

Mindvoice

The scent of spiced pie and candy, the warmth of a fire and the feeling of home and hearth from his time in the egg have combined to form a mind of liquid warmth. Rich and robust, Velokraeth's mind is full-bodied and smooth like a fine vintage of wine. Fluid and often touched with a bit of honey, his beautiful tenor words flow through people's heads like sweet liquid - flavorful and intoxicating at times. It's a good thing it's impossible to get drunk off of mental alcohol or you might be in a permanent sloshed state from now on.

Wine has moods - flavors and scents that make it seem cheery or somber. There are even varieties that are more apt for romance, pleasant dinner conversation or just a wild night out. It's not surprising that Velokraeth's mental winery takes advantage of this when serving up some of his choicest sarcastic comments and general thoughts.

His mental palette spans across an array of reds, golds, creams and whites - all of them subtly different but completely Velokraeth. Gold-tinged cream, ambers and the soothingly sweet affects of white wines will stir in his head as he puts on his usual good-natured charm and light-hearted humor. Deep plums, maroons, crimsons and a mixture of red wines will swirl and slosh around his head in moments of deep thought, consideration, seriousness or perhaps if he's feeling a stab of rejection, somberness or bitterness. The shades will vary, too - sometimes only the barest touch of cream to the white or even a tiny bit of pink with diluted red. It's almost like he uses wine as his own personal booze-laden mood ring - a different vintage for every emotion.

Not only does his mind radiate with colorful drinks of fermented grapes, it reaches out to encompass smell and taste as well. Touches of a wine's bouquet will waft through your head with every word, creating even more personality. Hints of berries, fruits, flowers and even a bit of vanilla might decide to make an appearance if Velokraeth feels like it - he may use these to accentuate a point or merely to indicate a transition to a new topic. Taste, however, will be his favorite way to add to the splashes of his mind voice. Happiness or good-natured charm might come with sweet fruits and berries. A sharp, yet amusingly witty comment might be accompanied with a rich flood of spices. Thoughts and considerations may have an added smoke or woodsy after-taste. Bitingly sarcastic jibes and jests will turn the wine as sour and bitter as his thoughts. He may even decide to add a touch of honey or earthiness - whatever catches his fancy and whatever might go well with his chosen wine color or state of mind. The sky, or the wine's, is the limit.

As if the mind full of alcohol wasn't enough, Velokraeth will even add a little twist when he goes through a mental laugh - bubbles. Tickling and fizzing, he'll turn his wine-soaked thoughts into sparkling whenever he chortles, chuckles or laughs. The size and amount of the fizziness will depend on how funny it was - you may find yourself with an overflowing geyser of wine foam one day when he finds something extremely amusing (if that'll ever happen). He thinks the bubbles add a wonderful texture to his thoughts that are perfect to make note of his amusement - even though it /does/ tickle a little.

And there may be a lot of laughing, hopefully, as he tries to charm those many female dragons he'll be going after throughout his life. Flirting is a special case and will receive soft, soothing tones of champagne and pale gold with the barest hint of bubbles to the texture. Only the best scents and smells - honey, clove and florals - for those beautiful ladies. During mating flights and the resulting lust his mind turns similar - thick, heady and full of passionate reds and crimsons. Spice would be his choice of smell and he wouldn't skimp on it, either - it's the next best thing to Old Spice on Pern after all.

Inspiration

Welcome to the craziness that is riderhood at Western Weyr, Th'ero! The theme this time around was birthstones for the eggs and month-related stuff (holidays/astrological signs,etc.) for the mind touches. Dragons could be loosely based off anything from the chosen month - flowers, trees, astrological signs, holidays, etc. along with whatever the candidate wanted.

Frozen Iridescence Egg was the month of October and the egg itself was based on the birthstone of the opal. Mind touches related to Halloween and trick or treating - the most notable thing to happen in October! All things egg were created by the lovely Liandyn.

Your Velokraeth is based off of Tyrion Lannister from the Song of Ice and Fire series. I just got into this series, myself, and am totally obsessed as well - I couldn't resist the chance of bringing Tyrion to life in a dragon form!

His appearance is mainly based on Tyrion's actual looks from the series and I was sure to lean towards the lighter bronzes as all Lannisters are blonde. He's small and rather ugly and, of course, waddles a bit when he walks. I added in red and gold on his wingsails in homage to the Lannister colors. His hatchling name is a tie-in to the theme - Halloween and masks - and Tyrion's ability to judge people truthfully.

His name, Velokraeth, comes from a Czech influence as you requested. I took the Czech word for lion ("lev") and flipped it around and took part of the Czech word for "short". So in essence Velokraeth sort of means "short lion", as the Lannister emblem is a lion. I also thought 'v' is a pretty uncommon letter for dragon names to start with - so it fit!

His personality is drawn almost exclusively from Tyrion with tweaks, obviously, to make him fit to a dragon. You wanted him to grow and change, so I had to brainstorm and think how Tyrion may have been as a child. So Velokraeth starts out innocent and amusing, gets bitter and then learns to balance bitterness with his natural good-natured charm.

And obviously his winey mind voice is because Tyrion loves wine. There's also an added bonus that red and gold, Lannister colors, happen to be in a lot of wines.

Hopefully you have as much fun playing Velokraeth as I did creating him! As always - if there's anything you'd like to change or expand upon you're free to do so. Velokraeth and all his biting sarcasm are yours now!